Review: On the Run From the Nazis in the Arctic in ‘The 12th Man’

“The 12th Man” depicts a Norwegian hero’s resistance to Nazism during World War II, centering on the true story of Jan Baalsrud (Thomas Gullestad), a rebel fighter who evaded capture for over two months during the German occupation of Norway.

The film begins when 11 of Jan’s comrades are taken prisoner by Nazi soldiers. One is killed immediately, while the other 10 endure torture first on their way to death, a fate that surely awaits Jan if he fails to reach neutral Sweden. He starts his flight on foot, limping from the initial skirmish after losing a toe to a stray bullet. As Jan slowly makes his way to the border, he is pursued relentlessly by a high-ranking Nazi officer, Kurt Stage (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), even as frostbite and gangrene force Jan to rely ever more on the protection of friendly Norwegians. In “The 12th Man,” escape is a matter of endurance.

Video

A preview of the film.Published OnApril 24, 2018

In his direction of Jan’s exodus, Harald Zwart lingers on the Arctic Circle location of this hero’s ordeal. The mountainous borderlands bring the threat of extremities lost to cold, the challenge of crossing streams when the touch of water might chill you for days. Sleds and sleighs become vehicles of guerrilla warfare; reindeer are fashioned into allies; daring escapes are made on skis. The reward of Mr. Zwart’s attention to the unique details of this historical account is that Jan’s path to safety frequently shocks, offering scenes of defiance that are unfamiliar or unexpected. In a familiar genre, “The 12th Man” preserves the element of surprise by understanding its terrain.